What are human relationships?

We explain what human relationships are, their types, goals and other characteristics. In addition, human relationships at work.

1. 1. What are human relationships?

Human relationships are the links that are generated between people and can be spontaneous interactions or permanent links. The various skills interpersonal, such as communication verbal and nonverbal , the empathy and the ability to listen to others determine the behaviors necessary to ensure these human relations.

It is inevitable to interact with other people and, if the individual does not adequately develop the different abilities to interact, they will have difficulties to develop in their environment.

Humans are social beings by nature who need to live in community and interact with each other. Sometimes, an individual may feel very lonely despite being surrounded by many people. On the contrary, a person can live alone and feel that his life is surrounded by company.

What determines that feeling is the type of relationship that an individual has with the rest of the people. The nature of the “social being” is linked to the relationships it is capable of generating , it is not enough to live grouped together with greater or lesser physical proximity.

2. Types of human relationships

Human relationships are divided into two large groups:

• The primary relationships. They are the intimate or close ties of the individual, in which there is no previous interest or need that has given rise to that relationship, but rather unites them with love, affection or appreciation for their human quality. For example, love relationships, family or friendships .
• Secondary relationships They are links in which emotional emotions do not intervene, but unites them in a relationship of convenience or usefulness. For example, the relationship between a manager and an employee, a teacher and a student, a doctor and a patient.

Both types of relationships are necessary and complementary to the development of the life of the individual in society . It can happen that both types of relationships exist simultaneously, for example, when a relationship begins as a secondary type and becomes primary (while still sharing the environment where the primary bond develops).

3. Importance of human relationships

Human relationships are so important for the development of life  that they can condition the individual’s own existence . Therefore, the quality of the links established is important, not just the quantity.

A person who surrounds himself with an environment of respect , tolerance , honesty and peace can develop better qualities of his personality than a person who surrounds himself with an environment of aggression, violence , lies and scandal.

Both the values and the skills that the individual can develop will help him to develop according to the environment in which he is. For example, in the workplace, specific skills such as stress management and conflict resolution are often developed , which allow to overcome moments of tension or crisis.

It is important to understand that human relationships are links that imply the presence or not of values . Before any kind of relationship and despite the differences, the individual can always develop skills that will allow him to interact.

4. Objectives of human relations

Human relations aim at the development of the individual so that he can achieve a better quality of life in society. A good social environment is not one where there is no conflict but, despite the divergences, the individual manages to cope.

It is possible to overcome conflicts with the development of interpersonal skills that allow reaching a higher level of understanding and a sincere interest in other people.

5. Characteristics of human relationships

Human relationships are characterized by their complexity , which makes it necessary to analyze them from various fields of study. The basis of every human relationship is that the individual needs to socialize and belong to a circle that is healthy in order to maintain a physical and emotional balance.

However, depending on the field (work, religious, family, etc.) the same individual can develop different interpersonal skills.

Social psychology studies the interrelation between the individual and the social , and how that interrelation is traversed by history , culture , politics , language and other aspects.

This science analyzes individual and social behaviors, group formation, mass phenomena and other contemporary problems. Study human relationships individually and in groups, and how those links impact at a broader level in social relationships .

The Sociology also deals with the study of human social relations, only it analyzes different types of environments as determinants of human action .

Study the social and cultural structures in which individuals are educated and trained (such as religion , family , division of social classes , cultural beliefs) to understand the different behaviors of human beings .

According to UNESCO , “there is no human being that does not contain a social element at the same time.” The human being is an individual in society and his rights are determined based on the political relations of the individual and the society to which he belongs.

The norms that regulate the rights of the human being establish a type of relationship between the individual, the nation and the world community .

In the workplace, professional, personal, political relationships interact, among others. Therefore, organizations are increasingly dedicated to improving the working environment inside. This type of relationship should not be confused with ” public relations “, a term that corresponds to the communication made by an organization to society or the public.

6. Human relations at work

Human relations at work correspond to the process of training human resources that meets their needs, assists in conflict resolution and fosters a stable and pleasant work culture. Employees often work together on certain projects , to communicate ideas or simply by sharing day-to-day work.

These human relationships affect the costs , competitiveness and sustainability of the business . Therefore, they are an important part for the success of the organization. In addition, when the work culture is stable and pleasant, the organization often retains and attracts better qualified employees.

7. School of Human Relations

The school of human relations analyzes the individual’s behavior at work and establishes the importance of the social environment in which the worker develops , as a determinant of performance and labor productivity , instead of just seeing it as an independent productive element.

The school of human relations is an administrative current created in the 1930s by the sociologist and psychologist Elton Mayo, whose ideas were opposed to the theories of classical (Henry Fayol) and scientific (Frederick W. Taylor) administration.

Mayo argued that the administration should focus on human resources and the relationships that were generated between them , for which it was necessary to address it from fields such as communication, management , psychology and sociology.

The school of human relations analyzes issues such as:

• The social integration of workers through communication.
• The vision of organization as a group of valuable people.
• The conditions of the work environment to maintain unity and avoid conflict.
• The valuation and recognition of employees, not only for the fulfillment of their tasks.
• The emphasis on human relationships between employees.
• The autonomy of the worker that fosters trust in people.
• The rotation in the jobs in order to encourage employees to incorporate new knowledge .
• The non-economic incentive that impacts on any task that the worker can perform within the organization.